


The Bitter End

by PinaNaponi



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Harry is a Tease, M/M, Meddling Albus Dumbledore, POV Severus Snape, Post-Canon, Post-Hogwarts, Post-War, Quidditch Seeker Harry Potter, Severus Snape Lives, Severus Snape is So Done, Slow Burn, dynamic change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:00:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29912463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinaNaponi/pseuds/PinaNaponi
Summary: It's been nice and quiet without Harry Potter in his life until they accidentally meet at a party. Yes, a party. As if attending such an event wasn't bad enough.This story is my baby. I love it with all my heart and I hope you enjoy it.Disclaimer:English is not my first language and the original was written in German. This is my first time translating/localising.All characters belong to JKR, which is quite unfortunate. I do not associate with any of her TERF bs and seek no benefit from this story.This translation is a work in progress, however the original story is almost finished and will probably end at chapter 22ish.Also, I love Placebo. The title and each chapter are named after one of their songs.
Relationships: Harry Potter & Severus Snape, Harry Potter/Severus Snape, Snarry - Relationship
Comments: 3
Kudos: 28





	1. Something rotten

It was beyond him how he'd ended up here. Severus Snape gave a snort full of disdain to the dismay of the terrified bystanders.  
He couldn't think of anything worse to attend than Albus Dumbledore's anniversary party. So why on Merlin was he here?

The room was filled to the brim with chatting wizards and witches, clutching their glasses and enjoying themselves. Severus hid in a corner, revolted by the merriness. He wore his usual robes und tried to decidedly ignore the amount of scared looks he was given.

Dumbledore stood in the midst of the biggest commotion of people, dressed in painfully bright robes and a ridiculous velvet hat, and seemed to relish the experience. It was safe to assume the headmaster knew of Severus' dislike for parties but then the old meddler just loved to torture him.

Severus had just decided to slip out behind Dumbledore's back, when a murmur went through the room. A short, slightly chubby witch hurried in his direction and then informed the witch closest to him of Harry Potter's arrival.

A horrified „No!“ almost escaped his throat when the statement was confirmed by a beaming Dumbledore calling out „Harry, my boy!“.

Severus leaned on the wall for support, trying to recover enough strength to leave the room. On the other side the headmaster hugged a tall, black haired man.

Severus counted, it had been five years since Potter had completed his NEWTs and left Hogwarts. Five years of Severus picking up the daily prophet in the mornings only to have Potter's face beaming up at him from the cover. The famous seeker on the national Quidditch team. On top, he was apparently deemed England's most eligible bachelor. Severus watched appalled as the two witches next to him started giggling about their plan to catch Potter's attention.

He made his way to the entrance as stealthily as possible and sent the cloakroom girl to retrieve his coat. But before she'd returned he heard Dumbledore's voice.

„Severus, dear boy!“

At 42 he definitely wasn't a boy, yet Dumbledore had the nerve to continue calling him just that. Severus ignored him despite the knowledge that his attempt would be futile.

„Are you really leaving without a goodbye?“

Severus turned around to all-seeing blue eyes that twinkled at him over the rim of half-moon shaped spectacles.

„That was precisely my intention.“ Severus hissed and crossed his arms over his chest.

„That's not very polite of you.“ Dumbledore told him with a smile that carried just a hint of accusation.

„You know exactly how I feel about these kinds of... events.“ Severus replied but Dumbledore ignored him, intensifying his smile.

„Harry has just arrived.“ The simple sentence reeked of implication. Severus suddenly realized what scheme the headmaster was plotting. That manipulative old sod!

He could barely stand the knowing smile in Dumbledore's face. And with Severus' life being like it was and whenever it rained it poured; it was Potter, wo popped up in front of him this very second. Potter, who apparently hadn't noticed who the headmaster had spoken to until he stood right before him. He stared at Severus and opened his mouth to say something.

„Good evening Potter and Goodbye.“ Severus snarled and took his cloak from the young witch that had finally returned from the depths of the cloak room to save him. Suddenly Dumbledore's hand was on his arm and held him.

„Severus, this is very childish of you.“ he scolded him, still a smile on the wrinkly face. Why, thank you Albus, please do treat me like a child right in front of Potter. Severus was very close to hexing the man.

„My apologies headmaster, but I must return to my work. I am busy.“ Severus struggled to calm the anger in his voice.

„Surely it can wait another thirty minutes considering it is saturday.“ the blue eyes twinkled.

Severus wasn't sure when he'd last wanted to use an Unforgivable so desperately. There was no way out of this, Dumbledore was determined he stay. Severus surrendered. Thirty minutes to indulge the headmaster wouldn't kill him, he hoped.

„Good!“ the headmaster explaimed, grabbed him by the arm again and pulled him back into the reception room, where he shoved a glass of sparkling wine into his hands. The he turned around, waving, to greet „Mafalda, my dear!“ and was gone. Severus found himself alone with Potter. Bloody Brilliant.

„I hope you weren't leaving because of me?“ Potter joked. His voiced had become considerably darker.

„I hate to disappoint you Potter, but that is exactly why I was leaving.“ he snarled.

„Good then.“

Severus looked at him properly for the first time that evening. Potter had grown surprisingly tall and filled out remarkably, probably due to all the Quidditch he was playing. His skin was tanned and his hair in even worse disarray than during his school days. And then there were these bright green eyes.

„And what exactly would be good about this?“ Severus asked and tried to fight the dryness in his throat with some of the fizzy beverage in his glass.

„That you didn't leave.“ Potter explained and looked at him interestedly. Severus wasn't quite sure he'd heard him right.

„Excuse me?“ He tried to conceal the surprise in his voice. What on earth was the boy talking about? Who in his right mind would voluntarily spend time with Severus Snarky Snape?

„When Dumbledore mentioned you'd be here I was actually looking forward to seeing you.“ There was no mockery in Potter's voice and Severus raised an eyebrow.

„Of course Potter, my apologies for forgetting that the two us are best friends.“ he snarled with biting sarcasm. Yet, Potter didn't look very intimidated at all and smiled at him instead.

„Don't be so hostile, Professor. All I wanted was to catch up. It's been five years, you know. I'm no longer an idiot school boy, I'm an adult and I thought our silly feude was in the past.“ Potter chuckled.

Who by Slytherin did Potter think he was? An adult? The boy was barely twentysomething and twenty years his junior, yet he spoke to him like an old man. Severus gave a contemptuous huff, a gesture he'd perfected over the years.

He finished the contents of his glass, not sure if he could endure Potter's idiocy and longer while sober. Then he grabbed another glass from one of the trays floating through the room and was about to down it when Potter held his glass out. Perplexed, Severus looked at him.

„Cheers!“ Potter gave him a broad smile and clinked his glass against Severus', who gave a low growl before he drank. What in hell was he doing? The picture of the potion master cheerily sipping sparkling wine with Potter on Dumbledore's anniversary party was beyond ridiculous. It was Severus' personal apocalypse and it had to end. Now.

„I'm leaving.“ he announced and handed his empty glass over to Potter.  
„Give my regards to the headmaster.“

Potter nodded. „Shame. I hope I'll see you again soon.“ he said and Severus thought he did actually sound a bit disappointed. Peculiar.

„I would hope not.“ he growled and left.


	2. Days before you came

At last the holidays started and Severus gave a relieved sigh when the students had finally piled out of the classroom. Two weeks of blissful quiet awaited him, far away from these dimwitted children that drove him up the walls. His back shrieked in agony when he peeled himself out of his chair, every muscle tense and sore from stress. Deciding on a proper holiday this year had definitely been one of his better ideas.

Normally Severus would stay at Hogwarts over Easter break, do research or take extensive walks through the silent castle. Sometimes he would go home to Spinner's End, but he never really felt too homely in his house and usually ended up returning to Hogwarts early.

But this time he was taking a proper vacation. Someone other than Severus Snape would've probably described the feeling in his chest as excitement; of course Severus did no such thing. A while ago he'd put his savings into a little cabin by the sea near Canterbury and he planned on spending the full two weeks of the holidays in blissful isolation. He'd stalled his subscription for the Daily Prophet and would seal of the floo. Drink tea, stare at the sea, grow herbs, all day long. It sounded like heaven.

Back in his chambers he started packing. This day's Daily Prophet caught his eye, still on the table where the mail owl had dropped it this morning.  
„National Quidditch Team in training camp – preparations for the Wold Cup underway!“ featured in bright letters on the cover. Below was Potter's face, stupidly smiling up at him, next to his team members. Severus couldn't help remembering Albus' anniversary party two months ago, when he'd accidentally met Potter.

Infuriatingly happy boy. Why had Potter been so friendly with him, what had happened to the animosity that had clearly been there all these years?

No good would come from thinking too much about it, Severus decided. He closed his bag, shrunk it and then tossed a handful of floo powder into the fireplace. Then he vanished.

After arriving in his cabin, he brushed the dirt off his robes and started on a cleaning charm. He didn't want to be disturbed, not even by a house elf and had decided to be completely self sufficient for the next two weeks. Not like that was going to be a challenge for him. He unpacked without hurry and then went to turn on the kettle. 

Tea in hand, he left the house to inspect the garden that surrounded the house. He sank down on a bench overlooking the cliffs and sipped his tea quietly. It was quite mild for April, the afternoon sun sparkled on top of the waves.

Severus enjoyed every second of this. Just the whisper of wind in the bushes and the sound of the waves crushing against the cliffs. A few birds chimed. No noise, no exploding cauldrons, no tapping of dozens of feet in the hallways. Just utter, blissful peace.

Severus took a deep breath. This was going to be the best holiday of his life. He put his teacup, now empty, down on the armrest of the bench and stretched out his legs, soaking up the last warm rays of receding sunshine.

The next day Severus walked to the nearest village to go shopping. Whenever he left his house he would have to be careful. This was a predominantly muggle area and the shops in the village were all non-magical. He bought some bread and meat at the local grocery store and walked past a little fishing section in the back of the shop. There were fishing rods and lures on display and Severus decided to give it try. He was on holiday after all. Making his way to the counter he was suddenly stopped by a man moving into his way.

„Potter, what on earth..?“  
„Shhh, quiet!“ the other man hissed. „I can do without mass hysterics for today!“ Panicked, he pulled Severus into the next aisle, after detecting two girls who were looking at them.  
Flabbergasted, Severus let himself be pulled for a second until he found his mouth again.

„Why are you here, Potter?“ Severus barked.  
„Training camp?“ Potter smiled. „Do you not read the Daily Prophet? There was a big story about it today.“

Severus finally remembered to free his arm from Potter's hand.  
„I don't read that pitiful pulp when you're in it. Gets me in a bad mood.“ he hissed.

„Really? So you do have good moods? I'd love to see that one day.“ Going by Potter's chuckle he found Severus' foul temper very amusing.  
He would've loved to hex him on the spot.

„Were you going to fish?“ Potter asked innocently.  
„No, my intention was to go shooting.“ He glared at the man, his voice full of sarcasm. „Of course Potter, what else would I do with a bloody fishing rod?“

Potter gave another chuckle. „I don't think it's very good for your blood pressure to get so agitated all the time.“ The prat had the audacitiy to give him a concerned look.

Severus snapped. He grabbed Potter by the shoulder and pushed him aside.   
„That's enough.“ he rasped and stomped off to the counter. He paid for his shopping and fled the store.

What by Salazar was Potter thinking? He'd apparently lost every last bit of respect for his former teacher. Severus loathed feeling helpless but Potter was absolutely unpredictable and Severus had found himself perplexed and far less scathing than the man had deserved. Severus had been forced to retreat. It was infuriating and he was baffled that Harry bloody Potter of all people would manage to throw him off like that.

They hadn't seen each other for five years and then he'd suddenly appeared at Albus' party to exchange profanities with his gnarly former potions master. And now he'd stumbled over him in this tiny village in the middle of nowhere and Potter had been even more brazen than last time. Clearly the boy intentionally abused the fact he couldn't be given detentions any longer.  
Severus knew that, too. In the past, whenever Potter had misstepped, Severus had had the power to reign him in but things were different now. He would need another strategy to deal with Potter's stalking.

Severus shook his head. He was obviously going mad. The was no reason to believe Potter was actually stalking him just because they'd met twice over the course of two months. Coincidences existed and in this case the Quidditch camp was close to the place Severus had chosen for his holiday. Nothing eerie about that.

Back home, Severus decided to go fishing at the nearby river the next day. He could do some reading and get some proper relaxation in. He was on holiday after all, and no Gryffindors would spoil it.


End file.
